An existing label used in connection with promotional games includes two plies. One ply, forming the base of the label, has an underside to which a pressure-sensitive adhesive is affixed. The face of the base, by contrast, contains no adhesive. In use, the underside of the base is attached to a substrate, such as a paper beverage cup, sold in retail outlets.
The second ply similarly includes a face and an underside, with the face having promotional information and game-playing instructions printed thereon. The underside of the second ply contains three regions separated by perforations, the outer two of which contain adhesive. Between these outer regions of the underside is an intermediate region comprising the surface of the game piece, which contains information concerning the prize to be awarded for that promotion. The second ply overlays the base of the label, with the adhesive of the underside of the second ply adhering to the face of the base.
To play the promotional game, a player separates the intermediate region of the second ply from the outer regions by detaching it along the perforations. Doing so exposes the surface of the game piece containing the prize information, informing the player of the result of the promotion. However, because neither the face nor the intermediate region of the underside of the second ply contains adhesive, the detached game piece cannot thereafter be affixed to a game board or container without manual application of glue.
Even were a game piece to be made with three plies, and a two-ply game piece were to be detachable, as described at length in the following sections, a variety of security and handling problems may arise.
In particular, a two-ply game piece joined to supporting portions or rails may be expected typically to extend from the promotional label roughly in the form of a tab to permit a player more easily to detach the game piece from the label. If it were possible to pull the tab a sufficient distance away from the label (without noticeably damaging it) to permit game indicia or information on the inside of the game piece to be viewed, the integrity and commercial viability of the game would be undermined. If, for example, one were able surreptitiously and inconspicuously to sever the leading ties of perforations delineating the borders of a game piece, and then to lift the tab so that it rotates about the subsequent perforation tie to such a degree that one could peek under the tab, an incentive would be created for persons, including legitimate potential game players and others, to screen objects bearing the labels for redeemable game pieces and thus "pick the cherries."
Still other problems with label-mounted game pieces can arise. The limitation of a label to incorporate a single game piece may limit the attractiveness of a purchase as a game playing stratagem, for example. An additional problem that might arise with respect to repositionable game pieces in particular is that if they are detached immediately upon purchase, but prior to consumption of an article (such as a soft drink or sandwich), the game piece might be lost by the player in the packaging. A mechanism for temporarily maintaining the security of game pieces that have been inspected could largely alleviate this potential problem.
In situations in which a label is applied to a pliable as opposed to a rigid surface, or where the game piece is comparatively large, it may become temptingly easy for a party to peek at the downward or inner surface of a game piece by "bowing" or otherwise distorting the surrounding pliable material or the game piece. A mechanism for precluding manipulation of a label, a game piece, or a mounting surface to compromise the game is therefore highly desirable.
An additional problem that can arise with promotional labels and game pieces generally involves the repetition and accompanying predictability of patterns producible by conventional printing means. Typically, labels and game pieces are printed using repetitive methods such as rotary offset lithography or flexographic printing. The number and arrangement of game categories and conditions (such as award information) achievable using these methods are finite and cannot be varied.
As result, combinations of categories and conditions for the game pieces, as well as the proximity of particular combinations to one another in batches of printed and processed labels, permit persons who are in a position to observe significant numbers of labels for a particular game to infer and take illegitimate advantage of such knowledge. Predictability of this kind can thus undermine the commercial value of a game.
Further security problems result from the ability of certain persons impermissibly to modify or duplicate game pieces in a manner that is difficult or impossible to detect. A mechanism for reducing or limiting these forms of cheating would therefore help to increase the value of promotional games by reducing the costs associated with cheating and fraud.
Promotional labels and game pieces also suffer from a dearth of available print-bearing space, while at the same time, players may not be sufficiently informed about the game to manipulate the pieces properly or to play the game according to the rules. The economical creation of additional "real estate" on the label or game piece for providing information helpful to players is therefore also desirable.